Previously, many types of carriers have been used to provide an effective means of securing a spare tire to a vehicle or trailer. In the past, elaborate carriers have been developed that attach directly to the bed of a pickup truck or to a sidewall of a vehicle. A lug wrench is usually stored in a separate location in the vehicle or trailer as it is an accessory and is rather simple in construction when furnished by the original equipment manufacturer. A four-way lug wrench has greater utility and has not been used in the past to prevent theft of a spare tire when employed in conjunction with a carrier.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Patent No. Inventor Issue Date 4,007,863 Norris Aug 5, 1975 3,865,291 Tidwell Feb 11, 1975 3,843,033 Wirth Oct 22, 1974 3,613,972 Daughhetee Oct. 19, 1971
Norris in U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,863 teaches an upright vertically extendible frame that includes depending feet that rest upon the floor of a pickup truck bed with a upper projecting abutment that engages the side wall of the pickup truck bed. A frame includes a clamp that engages the vehicle wheel and tire assembly against one side of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,291 issued to Tidwell is for a spare tire holder that includes an elongated spine provided with clamps for clamping its upper end to the top of a pickup truck bed side wall. Adjustable parts of the clamps are located as to not interfere with the mounting of a camper in the bed of a pickup truck. Wheel securing arrangements allow several sizes of truck wheels to be attached to the spines of the holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,033 of Wirth discloses a tire and wheel carrier mounted in a rack for a pickup truck. The carrier has a base that is mounted to the floor of the truck and includes a pair of spaced upright rods that are secured to a base element thus making it vertically adjustable relative to the base element. A top element is secured to the rods and the overhanging flange of the truck bed. A holding unit secures the wheel and tire assembly to the rods in a protected and rigid manner.
Daughhetee in U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,972 teaches a spare tire bracket that is mounted on the rear end of a pickup truck or the trunk of an automobile. A support assembly is secured to the vehicle by an anchor and the invention includes a tire connector which is mountable to a wheel of a spare tire. The tire connector includes a yoke with a threaded member connected to a lock clamp that is removable when not in use.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,954 issued to Neal on Sep. 11, 1972.